Former Team India all-rounder Irfan Pathan did not hold back in his assessment of India’s spin bowling after the second ODI defeat against New Zealand in Rajkot. Pathan said that the Indian spinners lacked discipline and control and were well below New Zealand’s level, which proved decisive in the loss.
India’s spin attack struggled badly in the seven-wicket defeat on Wednesday, January 14. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav bowled 18 overs between them, picked up just one wicket, and conceded 126 runs.
In contrast, New Zealand spinners Jayden Lennox and Michael Bracewell conceded only 76 runs in their combined 20 overs and took two wickets, helping restrict India to 284. Notably, Lennox made his international debut in the match.
Your daily dose of cricket!
New Zealand Read the Conditions Better – Irfan Pathan
In a recent video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Irfan Pathan said that New Zealand understood the Rajkot conditions far better than India in the second ODI. Pathan stated that debutant Jayden Lennox did not allow batters like Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer to score freely.
“New Zealand deserve praise. The way New Zealand have played, they won the toss and opted to bowl first. By contrast, India said they would have batted first had they won the toss. New Zealand read the conditions better. They bowled well and we saw spin bowling,” Pathan said.
“New Zealand’s spinners weren’t that experienced. Jayden Lennox was playing his first game but conceded runs at an economy rate of 4.20 per over. He barely gave anything away, keeping a leash on players like Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer. Lennox bowled one of the last five overs and bowled outstandingly well,” he added.
“Michael Bracewell doesn’t turn the ball much but bowled with discipline and conceded runs at 3.40 per over in 10 with a wicket. Bracewell also gave barely anything away, especially against the righthanders. Indian spinners were nowhere near New Zealand’s when it comes to discipline. It was a big part of India’s defeat.”
Kuldeep Yadav Must Revisit the Need to Increase his Speed – Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan also questioned Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling rhythm after he conceded 82 runs in his 10 overs and picked up just one wicket. Pathan added that Kuldeep is capable of much better returns, while Ravindra Jadeja has limited options when conditions do not assist him.
“I will point out that Kuldeep Yadav’s speeds are decreasing again. Kuldeep used to bowl slow before and later showed improvement. He started bowling fast and thus turned the ball too. As a result, he got those revs too. Is he bowling slow again? “Is it the reason the ball is not turning as much?” Pathan continued
“Kuldeep must revisit the need to increase his speed. He is a better bowler than conceding 80 runs in 10 overs. I expect him to bowl better in the next game and will look to finish better. Ravindra Jadeja doesn’t have too many options and he struggles when conditions don’t help much. But better performances are expected of him too.”
Fast Bowlers Didn’t Have Many Options – Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan said that the defeat was worrying for India, especially against a far more experienced New Zealand side. He pointed out that India’s fast bowlers struggled after returning to the attack, with limited impact. Pathan added that India need to reassess their bowling approach.
“Fast bowlers didn’t have many options either when they returned, whether we talk of slower deliveries or bouncers. Overall, New Zealand, whose all players combined don’t have 10000 runs and Rohit Sharma alone has over 10000 runs, that team defeated India. India must go back to the drawing board and refine things, especially in bowling.”
India made a winning start to the series with a four-wicket victory in the opening match, but New Zealand responded strongly by claiming a seven-wicket win in the second game. With the series now level at 1-1, the deciding third ODI will be played on Sunday, January 18, in Indore.
Also read: Axar Patel to get ODI recall? Ravindra Jadeja declared ‘Useless’ by Gautam Gambhir’s ex-teammate
